Shaun Wright-Phillips

Shaun Wright-Phillips is a former England international footballer whose career saw him play at the highest level of the game, winning the Premier League and two FA Cups.

Born in Greenwich in 1981, Shaun grew up in Brockley and is the adopted son of former England striker Ian Wright. After being released by Nottingham Forest as a teenager, he joined Manchester City’s academy at 17 and went on to establish himself as one of the club’s most exciting young players.

Shaun made his England debut in 2004 and earned 36 caps for his country, scoring six goals and representing England at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. At club level, he enjoyed two spells with Manchester City and also played for Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers before heading to the United States, where he played alongside his brother Bradley Wright-Phillips at New York Red Bulls. He retired from professional football in 2019 and has since worked as a football pundit and commentator.

Now Shaun is swapping football boots for dancing shoes, although there’s one colour you shouldn’t expect to see him wearing in the ballroom - red! He’s already negotiated with the Strictly costume department and accepted that sequins are a fair compromise. A fan of dance films including Step Up, Shaun is particularly intrigued by the Jive and is determined to get his posture on point. He once tried line dancing and found it incredibly difficult, so the Strictly ballroom could prove a whole new ball game!